Grip gear is one of the last bastions of real engineering. Tripods and fluid heads are things that can’t easily be computerised. They’re also the products of a very mature industry, which means that genuinely new ideas are rare. We review the Sachtler Aktiv8 tripod head, a system that promises to make your setups quicker and easier than ever.

TVN MOBILE PRODUCTION has equipped its newly refurbished OB3 vehicle with ten HDC-5500 camera systems to strengthen its sports and live events production capabilities. Capable of outputting 4K UHD & HDR, the latest-generation cameras are configured with Sony’s HDCU-5000 Camera Control Unit supporting Ultra High Bitrate transmission and as such enabling 4K 2x slow motion or simultaneous transmission of two 4K pictures.

Creative Technology (CT), part of the NEP Worldwide Network, has seen its UK and Northern Europe offices invest in KAIROS, Panasonic’s revolutionary IT/IP-based video production platform that’s set to change the industry.

AJA Video Systems released BRIDGE LIVE v1.11 for its high-performance UltraHD or multi-channel HD encoding, transcoding, decoding and contribution solution. The update introduces new functionalities including HLS input, VBR low latency, E-AC3 input, and numerous user experience upgrades for efficiently managing pipelines.

Litepanels has announced its Apollo Brigde Wireless DMX System. Apollo Bridge is a new dual-band wireless DMX system that utilizes advanced dynamic frequency hopping technology to let you instantly create a wireless DMX network anywhere.

Sony has introduced its newest addition to its long-standing switcher family, the XVS-G1. This new entry-level compact live production switcher developed as a next-generation platform combines the power of a new video processing engine with a modern architecture design.

RTS is pleased to announce the global introduction of DBP (Digital Beltpack) – the latest addition to the brand’s successful portfolio of OMNEO* IP intercom solutions. DBP also joins the recently launched OMS (OMNEO Main Station) as a key member of a major new product family: RTS Digital Partyline.

multiCAM systems has released BACKDROP, a virtual background solution for a radio, podcast, small Web TV or automated broadcast production.

Has Sony officially discontinued the F5 and F55? Both cameras were announced in October 2012. Sony Japan and Sony GB have listed both the F5 and F55 as being discontinued, however, Sony USA still has both cameras listed as available.

Malaysia’s public broadcaster Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) has installed six Calrec Type R radio consoles at its regional station, PerlisFM, located in the northern Perlis state of the country. With the studio upgrade and move to an IP audio environment, RTM says the facility will serve as reference for all of its future upgrades to other regional stations.